Understanding, Believing and Accepting
by fowl68
Summary: We've been over this, Sasuke. I can read, I just prefer not to read anything that doesn't include pictures."


Understanding, Believing and Accepting

_**Understanding, Believing and Accepting**_

**Disclaimer:** For the….very high numbered time, I don't own anything.

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"_A friend is someone who knows you for who you are and loves you just the same."-Anonymous_

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**A friend is someone who understands your past**

The rain was falling hard, beating against cobblestone and glass, icy drops chilling the air. Few were out during storms like this. Naruto was one of these few.

The blonde didn't particularly like being in the rain, honestly, he preferred not to be soaked in freezing water, but right now, he was looking for his best friend and he knew exactly where said best friend was. Naruto stepped quickly through the nearly deserted streets except for the random stray animal bolting away into the alleyways. Ignoring the old sign that had scratched and faded words-_Uchiha only. Violators will be punished-_ he pushed open the creaking, rotted gate and found Sasuke just where he knew he would.

The brunette stood, drenched with his dark bangs plastered to his face, the shadowy depths of his gaze focused on a worn mark, one that Naruto recognized from the back of Sasuke's shirts, with a crack splitting it in dozens of directions.

Naruto didn't say a word until after he had walked over to Sasuke and held the umbrella so it shielded Sasuke from the rain, letting Naruto himself get wet.

"If you get wet, you'll get sick, teme." He offered softly as explanation when Sasuke's onyx eyes tore away from the symbol to look questioningly at him.

**Believes in your future**

Naruto slumped back against the cahier, letting his golden locks fall over his eyes. He was nervously clasping and unclasping his hands, and when he got sick of that, he found an old pen on the windowsill with a battered notebook and simply began flipping the pen, not touching the notebook, for he already knew what was in there, had known what was in there since he was thirteen years old. He stopped flipping the pen when he realized something, and Naruto just stared at it, remembering large, calloused hands gripping the pen and writing with effortless ease after a few hours of research.

"You sick?"

Naruto started when he heard the familiar voice, too caught up in memories to listen for footsteps.

"Sasuke. What're you doing here?"  
"I was going to give you congratulations, but you look a little pale to me. Are you sick?" Sasuke repeated.

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine. I was just thinking…that Jiraiya isn't gonna be in the crowd. For some reason, I always imagined him cheering me on out there, and I just kinda realized that he _can't_ be here. And I was also thinking 'what now?' I'm Hokage. I finally achieved my dream, so what do I do now?"

Sasuke crouched down in front of him, so Naruto wouldn't have to go through the rigorous process of lifting his head to look at him. "If I know one thing, that old man is defiantly watching and is probably cheering from wherever dead people go. And as for what now, you still have a village to run. Make this village the greatest it could be and/or you can find something else to live for."

A small smile quirked Naruto's lips and he placed the pen back on the notebook before wrapping his arms around his best friend in a tight hug.

**And accepts you just the way you are**

"You have the messiest office in existence, dobe." Was Sasuke's greeting upon entering the room.

The blonde looked up from the rather dangerously large stacks of paperwork and grinned. "And since when have I been anything but messy, Sasuke?"

The brunette rolled his eyes and tossed him a paper. "There's the report."

"I swear, no one visits just to say hi." Naruto groaned, catching the paper, "Do you purposely make your handwriting on reports unreadable?"  
"I wasn't aware you could read." Sasuke smirked when the azure eyes flashed.

"We've been _over_ this, Sasuke. I can read, I just prefer not to read stuff that doesn't have pictures."

"So what, you want me to make the report into a comic strip?"

"That's a god idea…"

It was Sasuke's turn to groan. "Never mind. Come on, dobe. Let's get something to eat. And _no ramen._" Sasuke finished sternly when Naruto opened his mouth.

"Aww! Fine, but no tomatoes either."

"I hate you."

"I love you too, Sasuke."


End file.
